The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre – Blu-Ray Review

St. Valentine’s Day Massacre was an unusual film in Roger Corman’s career—it was the biggest-budget film he ever made at that point, and one of the very few times he ever worked for a Hollywood studio. He deliberately made the budget smaller than what he was given (he got 2.5 million, an insane amount for … Continue reading The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre – Blu-Ray Review

Marty – Blu-Ray Review

Marty was the very first winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival in 1955. Along with Billy Wilder's The Lost Weekend, it’s also one of the only films to win both the Best Picture Oscar and the Palme d'Or. However, the really interesting aspect of Marty is that it's a perfect example of the screenwriter as the … Continue reading Marty – Blu-Ray Review

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds – Blu-Ray Review

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds is one of those classic examples of what happens when a movie star turns director. It was Paul Newman's second film as a director after Rachel, Rachel. As usual with his directorial work, it starred his wife, Joanne Woodward.  The film is based on a very popular stage play, and … Continue reading The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds – Blu-Ray Review

Suddenly, Last Summer – Blu-Ray Review

Suddenly, Last Summer is an incredibly twisted southern gothic melodrama/mystery directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. It's based on the play by Tennessee Williams, who is co-credited on the script with Gore Vidal, even though it's very clearly Vidal's work. Williams would later claim he had nothing to do with the film, which cements Vidal as the author of … Continue reading Suddenly, Last Summer – Blu-Ray Review